The Weird Sisters' Full Biography Or Every Band Ever
by Lippskinn
Summary: To celebrate the Weird Sister's 7th studio album and 30th anniversary, the Wizard Wireless Network has published a full biography about the famous Wizard Rock band. Join us on 30 years of band history and rediscover hits like Do The Hippogriff and Magic Works!
1. A Letter From The Editor

**The Weird Sisters Full Biography or Every Band Ever**

 **Dear Reader,**

 _"behind every good band is a bad biography"_ it says in Earnest McTavish's Wizard Rock Wave ( _McTavish, Wizard Rock Wave, 1994_ ) and we of Wizard Wireless Network ( **WWN** ) thought we'd try a crappy one ourselves and our victims are no less than the most popular wizard rock band ever to date: **The Weird Sisters**.

The eight-piece group revolving around the Mancunian frontmen Myron Wagtail and Kirley Duke formed in 1984 and originally started out as a trio including Dublin born multi-instrumentalist Donaghan Tremlett. The trio initially went under the name The 1984s, but later dismissed the name in 1988 when they were joined by Herman Witringham (lute), Heathcote Barbary (rhythm guitar) and Gideon Crumb (bag pipes). In an interview frontman Myron Wagtail stated:

 _"Donaghan was really into classic English literature and all that [insert insult]. He came up with the name because he thought we sounded like a bill at the Three Broomsticks and we needed something more intellectual. He's a [insert insult] genius, you know."_ (Skeeter, Up and Rising Youngsters to Perform in Hogwarts, 1994)

The group has since published seven LPs and a couple of EPs and Best Of collections under that name. They are the only Wizard Rock band to have remained in the WWN top 40 charts for 45 weeks with their single _Do the Hippogriff_ that earned them worldwide success when they performed a gig at the Hogwarts Yule Ball during the Triwizard Turnament in 1994. Kirley Duke claims this gig to be height of their career:

 _"I remember Dumbledore approached us at the Quidditch World Cup, where we played a couple of songs and said he would be honoured to have us play at Hogwarts because he really believed we had potential. We'd only just finished writing Do The Hippogriff and tried it on the crowd and we weren't quite sure if we could live up to a gig like that. But we simply had to accept the offer or we would have forever been 'That-Band-That-Almost-Played-At-The-Triwizard-Turnament'. That was the best thing that could have happened to us."_ _(Lovegood, 2005)_

The Hogwarts Yule Ball was played in full line-up and with support of Merton Graves, who wasn't a member of the band back then and still a student. He was suggested by the drummer Orsino Thurston, who knew Graves from his time at Hogwarts and thought the _"rhythm section [needed] a bit more oomph."_ ( _Skeeter, Victory or Defeat?, 1998_ ) Thurston himself had only just entered the band as fresh graduate for the Quidditch World Cup a few months prior.

The Hogwarts gig was followed by the short but successful _Do-The-Hippogriff-Tour_ that ended abruptly in 1996 when Voldemort rose to power again and the band members decided to go into hiding for fear of persecution. _"As a public person you have to be very careful"_ , said Orsino Thruston, drummer of the group. _"Where my parents and grandparents are from [Zadar, Croatia], they had already seen the war with Gellert Grindelwald and when they saw how things were developing in Britain, they begged me to go into hiding and I alarmed the others."_ ( _Skeeter, Victory or Defeat?, 1998)_

Exile proved to be an insurmountable challenge to some of the band members and let to the biggest scandal in the band's history, when Myron Wagtail was accused of seducing young girls with Amortentia that he had purchased at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. The Weasley twins, however, denied all responsibility in the case and referred to their general terms and conditions instead (a document printed on every toilet paper roll and can be read on every toilet door in their store). _"If you'd spent sufficiant time at our lovely lavatory, you would have noticed that it says 'Our products were created for the sole purpose of mischief making and for that purpose only. We do not take responsibility for any dodgy activities.' We, therefore, invite every guest to spend 15 minutes on the bog at our store, "_ said founder Fred Weasley in an interview with the Daily Prophet _(Skeeter, Weasley's Wanking Wheezes, 1996)_.

The band almost dismembered over the scandals and decided to take a complete hiatus until the _"political situation had changed"_ _(Skeeter, Victory or Defeat?, 1998)_. During that time Wagtail started a short lived solo career that focused more on political issues along with the singles _Ghosts of My Vicious Past_ ( _Wagtail, Never Mind The War, 1997_ ) that focuses on the death of infamous mass murderer Sirius Black and _We Could have Shagged Instead_ ( _Wagtail, Never Mind The War, 1997_ ) that was supposedly written about a girl he made out with at the Yule Ball.

It wasn't only until the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998 that the band got back together and decided to record another album.

 _"None of us could believe what happened at Hogwarts. I mean, this was the place where we all met and where it all started, you know. We were all so devastated and just had to write it all down never mind what happened in the past. We were simply glad this was all over and we'd come out alive, "_ explained Kirley Duke _(Skeeter, Victory or Defeat?, 1998)_.

Their fourth album _Victory_ (1999) was indeed going to be even bigger than _Do the Hippogriff_ ; although, none of their singles lasted particularly long in the single charts, their album still ranks as one of the bestselling Wizard Rock albums in the world. Earnest McTavish once most poignantly described their success as _the very essence of the zeitgeist_ _(McTavish, Cool Britannia, 1999)_ . The _Victory-Tour_ that followed took them five years with 500 locations and is the longest tour to date.

 _"Guess, it was just what everyone was feeling at that time and we just happened to have made [insert insult] money out of it,"_ remembered Myron Wagtail who's controversial opinions on everyone's darling Harry Potter often let to believe that he was a supporter of Voldemort, which his band members neither confirmed nor denied _(Wagtail, Who Do You Think You Are?, 2008)_. The charismatic Slytherin very much helped to shape the band's appearance with his attitude and style.

 _"There was a time during Do The Hippogriff when [Myron] really [insert insult]. Suddenly it was all about style and stupid dances on stage, you know. And he didn't give a [insert insult] about music. Donaghan and I tried really hard on stage, but he would only [insert insult] things up for us. Merton was only 16 at that time and [Myron] would still be [insert insult] irresponsible,"_ recalled Kirley Duke ( _Lovegood, 2005_ ).

Dukes and Wagtails relationship has always been a difficult one. The two frontmen are well known for their controversial opinions and verbal outbursts. That has often lead to violent fights and smashed hotel rooms during their tours. Most notable, when Wagtail set a room on fire at the Leaky Cauldron in London and Duke was arrested for assault and battery that night ( _Skeeter, Weird Sisters smashing the Leaking Cauldron, 1995)_.

Up to this day The Weird Sisters remain a highly unusual band with two members of every Hogwarts house in it and occasionally guest musicians from Hogwarts or other magical schools. Most notably séan-nos singer Niamh Flannery who featured on _Let The Magic Live On_ ( _Tremlett & Flannery, 1999_) from _Victory_. The shy bassist Tremlett is however often cited as the creative master mind on their albums; he and Duke contribute to most of the lyrics and form the cadre of the group, whereas the others like to spend time on other projects as well.

 _"There are times, when it's just Myron, Donaghan and me with a guitar on stage. You will hardly see the full line-up on stage: it's just too much work; which doesn't mean that we have broken up. You'll still see us all play together, if you show us the money,"_ commented Duke on possible break-up rumours ( _Duke, 2009_ ).

After the _Victory Tour_ and the release of their 5th album _London Town_ (2005), it seemed for a long time that the band was going to break up. The tour had put great strain on the members and Tremlett complained that he _"felt empty and exhausted"_ and had trouble playing on stage ( _Lovegood, 2005_ ). Fans complained that the album lacked emotion and dedication and it flopped completely. It was when Tremlett decided to take some time off and he moved back to Dublin with his then-girlfriend Jennifer Dawson to start a family. The couple split up in 2010 after Tremlett had come back for a 6th studio album with his fellow band mates.

Their 6th studio album was called _The Last Curtain Call_ (2009) and focused on their time as a band. The style was overall a bit more mature and not as in-your-face as the previous albums. _"We're now all in our 30s and it's about time we grow up, isn't it, "_ said Tremlett about the album ( _Tremlet, 2009_ ). The bassist had its first appearance as a singer on the album while Duke and Wagtail stepped down a bit. _"I've always been into Muggle music, really. I'm half-and-half, you see, and my mum used to play loads of muggle artists in the house when I was young and that's what influenced my musical style, I reckon. I think that shows well in this album. I'm very proud of it,"_ bragged Tremlet ( _Tremlet, 2009_ ).

 _The Last Curtain Call_ was followed by a few solo shows by the artists, occasional full band shows and other projects like supporting the _S.P.E.W. Association_ that predominantly supports Elfish rights, but also campaigns for the rights of half-breads or magical minorities. Duke has since become an honorary member of the _Remus Lupin Honorary Foundation_ that enables werewolves to pursue a career and Wagtail has founded the _R &R Foundation_ (Remember, Remember Foundation) that collects Hogwarts artefacts from before the Battle of Hogwarts.

With or without full line-up, the Weird Sisters remain one of the most influential bands in Wizarding Britain. Many musicians and celebrities have cited them as a major influence; among them: Ginevra Weasley, senior Editor of the Daily Prophet; Neville Longbottom, war hero and Hogwarts teacher and singer Michael Corner of WeAreTheDefenceLeague (WATDL).

With their 7th album _The 1984s_ coming out in summer 2014 the Wizard Wireless Network would like to celebrate 30 years of band history with this biography.

 **With best regards,**

 **the WWN**

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Literature

Duke, K. (2009, September 19). Are The Weird Sisters Breaking Up? (E. McTavish, Interviewer)

Lovegood, X. (2005). Q&A with... Quibbler, 30.

McTavish, E. (1994). Wizard Rock Wave. London: WizardPress.

McTavish, E. (1999, December 31). Cool Britannia. (L. Jordan, Interviewer)

Skeeter, R. (1994). Up and Rising Youngsters to Perform in Hogwarts. Daily Prophet, 11.

Skeeter, R. (1995). Weird Sisters smashing the Leaking Cauldron. Daily Prophet, 2.

Skeeter, R. (1996). Weasley's Wanking Wheezes. Daily Prophet, 2.

Skeeter, R. (1998). Victory or Defeat? Daily Prophet, 11.

Tremlet, D. (2009, October 24). The Last Curtain Call. (L. Jordan, Interviewer)

Tremlett, D., & Flannery, N. (Composers). (1999). Victory. [T. W. Sisters, Performer] Hogwarts, Scottland.

Wagtail, M. (Composer). (1997). Never Mind The War. [M. Wagtail, Performer] Manchester, England.

Wagtail, M. (2008, May 2). Who Do You Think You Are? (G. Weasley, Interviewer)

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 **Author's Note: Hey! You've made it all the way to the bottom of this story and through the citations :P Thank you very much for sticking to it!**

 **I'm still looking for a Beta for this story.**

 **Weekly Updates (Keep your eyes peeled for more)**

 **Stay Rad !**

 **\- Author out**


	2. 1984 - 1986

**Chapter 1 – 1984-1986**

 _"_ _All you need to start a band is: a few drinks, a couple of friends, a guitar and a chair,"_ recommends Kirley Duke to anyone who wants to know his key to success, _"learn the basic chords and start strumming to a beat."_ The lead guitarist is self-taught on the guitar and admits to have struggled in the past, " _I couldn't do the barre chords so I would often just skip them or pretended I was strumming another chord. I thought of course no one would notice, but that wasn't true. We were [insert insult]. Well, not Donaghan so much, he is still a [insert insult] genius."_ _(_ _Lovegood, 2005_ _)_

Duke met Tremlett in 1983 while Tremlett was practicing the guitar during a lunch break. The two boys were in the same house and shared an interest in music. " _I remember that Donaghan could do all that picking and stuff, which I couldn't and he promised to teach me some tricks on the guitar. We often skipped a few lessons to practice in secret, but we eventually got caught out by Professor McGonagall and had to leave the music to the evenings."_ _(_ _Lovegood, 2005_ _)_ _._ Duke got better and better at playing the guitar and eventually played smaller gigs at local pubs; unfortunately, Tremlett was still too young to visit Hogsmeade; therefore, Duke embarked on the adventure alone. Kirley recalls being harassed and assaulted numerous times on stage in the beginning and often thought of giving up his dream. He also suffered from severe stage fright, which he sometimes drowned in alcohol while playing.

 _"I should have been more concerned about my health back then, but I was so frustrated with how things had worked out that alcohol seemed to be the only alternative. And Merlin! I was only 13."_ _(_ _Weasley, The Downsides of Fame, 2009_ _)_ Duke was an average student with a passion for Muggle Studies and Charms, but he always thought his future lay in the music business. Although he struggled on his own, he never considered forming a band; he was determined to make it alone.

" _One day, there was this bloke, that Slytherin guy, you know. And he must have been just as drunk as me. He stumbled across the bar and threw his drink right in my face. I rolled up my sleeves to punch him, but I was so wasted that I fell off the pedestal and hit my head on a bench. There was blood everywhere and I felt [insert insult] embarrassed, but he kept pissing me off and I pulled all my strength together and almost smashed his head in. He was an ugly sod, "_ recounts Duke remorsefully. Funnily ,that " _ugly sod_ ", as Duke described him, was his soon-to-be bandmate Myron Wagtail. (Weasley, Once Upon a Time... Weird Sisters, 2001)

The fighting men were prevented from killing each other by innkeeper Madamme Rosmerta and expelled from the pub for battery and assault. Angry and bleeding they trudged down the roads of Hogsmeade and ended up singing drinking songs at the top of their lungs and violently strumming the guitar. _"It's one of these impossible friendships that on one hand only happen when you're drunk and on the other hand are never likely to happen when you're drunk. You know, what I mean?_ " Wagtail explained. " _It's just one of many wonders of being drunk. That, and always coming home safely._ " (Weasley, Once Upon a Time... Weird Sisters, 2001)

Previously having befriended Wagtail and being intrigued by his unique voice, Duke introduces him to Tremlett and suggests forming a band. " _Usually it's one of these things that you shout after a couple of beers: 'We should start a band!' And then the rest cheers and in the morning you dismiss the idea, but this time it was different. The idea was still there and everyone thought, ' you know we can actually do this',"_ beamed Duke, who prides himself with the fact that it was him, who initiated the band. ( Lovegood, 2005)

The three boys practised very hard having very little experience with playing in a band and it took them some time to fall in time. _"Everyone wanted to be the loudest and the best in the band, but I guess that's not how this whole thing works. You've got to put loads of effort into it,"_ acknowledged Duke, _"we wanted to be everything at once and ended up being none. Finding your style is so important."_ _( Skeeter, Victory or Defeat?, 1998)_It seems almost impossible to think that the band struggled so hard to find their own style since the band's style is so incredibly " _distinguished_ " and " _unique_ " (McTavish, Wizard Rock Wave, 1994).

Their song "Remember, Remember" is among the most recognizable songs in Wizard Rock history and every child born between 1970 and today will know the intro and the famous line: _"Remember, remember when we danced all night and let our colours fly"_ _( Wagtail, Duke, & Tremlett, Remember, Remember, 1989)_referring to the first fall of the Dark Lord and the night the wizarding community _"came out of the closet"_ _( McTavish, Cool Britannia, 1999)_. _"This night was hugely important to all wizards because for the first time in centuries you were allowed to openly identify as a wizard and literally let your colours fly."_ _( McTavish, Wizard Rock Wave, 1994)_

The Weird Sisters are the only Wizard Rock band that had never seen war during their time at Hogwarts. Operating in times of peace, their songs often reflect on important events in wizard history like: The fall of the Dark Lord, the Godric's Hollow massacre, the Battle of Hogwarts or the Death Eater cult in general. _"I used to be really obsessed with the Sirius Black case for a while, which is why I just had to write a song about it when he died. I was very shocked and disgusted,"_ reports Myron Wagtail in an article about _"Askaban's most famous prisoner"._ _( Skeeter, Sirius Black Receives Pardon At Last, 1997)_

In the beginning, the band's repertoire however consisted more of cover songs of famous wizard and muggle bands than of original songs. " _We only began writing songs in 1986 when we ditched the old band name and officially became the Weird Sisters,"_ tells Wagtail. Yet, many of their first songs didn't get on their first album "Remember, Remember" (1989). " _We only wanted songs that everyone could relate to, not the stuff we wrote for our own houses. They might be worth a re-release of the album when we run out of money, though."_ ( Lovegood, 2005)

When they still went under the name _The 1984s_ , they would often play a rendition of the Hogwarts Song, but thought that it would spoil the fun for everyone since everyone had its very private version of the song. " _There are songs you should never touch, we made that mistake and we still feel a bit ashamed,"_ confesses Duke, who often plays a cover of WeAreTheDefenceLeague's song _The Picture_ _( Corner, 2000)_, which deals with stepping into the footsteps of the Original Order of the Phoenix. " _The first time I listened to it, I thought, this is a [insert insult] masterpiece. The boys are amazing and I am sorry I ruined their song,"_ jokes Duke (Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013). The line _"We've only just begun, but we don't know where we're going/ I hold the picture close to my chest, I'm scared and it's showing/ I don't wanna be a memory, I wanna be the hero in this fantasy,"_ has often been performed as intro to most Weird Sisters concerts (Corner, 2000) since the song's release in 2000.

Wagtails haunting baritone voice adds a whole new dimension to the song. The singer's recently been praised a lot for his versatile singing style and surveys revealed that Wagtail's voice is among the most frequently recognized voices in Great Britain. " _He's just lucky he's got this plummy, deep voice like he doesn't give a [insert insult] about people and he does that thing where he always kind of speaks through the nose, you know. He thinks he's so posh,"_ mocks Tremlett during an interview, where in the same draw of breath he stated, " _We definitely do not like each other. We hate each other really."_ _( Weasley, The Downsides of Fame, 2009)_

Frankly, the first two years were a struggle and it was hard for them to get engagements to promote their music. " _We've had our very first gig at a quidditch match in 1884. Donaghan was playing the drums back then; although, he'd never learned them and I was trying very hard not to mess up my guitar solos. Myron would get so frustrated with us sometimes and he went 'how am I supposed to sing this song, if you keep messing things up'. Of course the thought he was the best singer alive, which is probably true, if you ask me."_ ( Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013)

The band wrote the very first song from their album in 1885, when Duke broke up with his first girlfriend. It is called _The Kiss_ and reached new popularity in 1999, when Kingsley Shacklebolt used it in his campaign against using dementors in Azkaban. The refrain " _Help me, I am falling into the pit of my fears / All I hear is your rustling breath / Save me, I am drowning in the lake of my tears/ Let's perform the kiss_ " (Wagtail, Duke, & Tremlett, Remember, Remember, 1989) has often been used in numerous campaigns against the inhumane use of dementors and/or campaigns that raise awareness for PDSS (Post Dementor Stress Syndrome) sufferers.

" _I just felt so drained at that time. You know, like a dementor had just sucked all good feelings out of me. She was so cruel and I didn't think something so good could be so bad,"_ remembers Duke, " _I haven't seen her since we left Hogwarts and I am almost certain she's died."_ _( Jordan, 2001)_The guitarist has had a couple of relationships in his life, but none of them lasted for very long. _"I am not into this marriage stuff and committed relationships, "_ he confesses (Jordan, 2001). When their band became more established at Hogwarts, and especially after gigs, they'd _"pull all kinds of birds"_ _( Jordan, 2001)_ _._

 _"_ _When we were young, we used to keep score with the girls. I daresay, I was a little more successful than the rest of the group. We ditched the scores after a while, when we 'matured' a little, but I can exclusively reveal that Duke is way behind me, "brags_ Wagtail, who is well known for his public love affairs and foremost the _"Amortentia Scandal"_ _( Jordan, 2001)_ _._ Due to the political situation, Wagtail was never sentenced for raping at least a dozen under-aged girls under the influence of Amortentia in 1996.

 _"_ _Myron always had a difficult stand with the girls,_ "claims Nymphadora Tonks, who was a contemporary at Hogwarts, " _all girls had a huge crush on him, but he would just use them. Poor Henrietta Belford even drilled a hole in his cauldron to get back at him and ended up with third degree burns, when a brew backfired during Potions_." ( Tonks, 1997)Nymphadora Tonks belonged to the Second Order of the Phoenix. She was a trainee under Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody and married to the ex-professor Remus Lupin, but she tragically died during the Battle of Hogwarts alongside her husband. She left a son, Teddy Lupin, whom we all know as Harry Potter's godson and teenage heartthrob. Both, him and his mother, stated to have been great fans of the band. Teddy has even occasionally been spotted wearing a "Victory" T-Shirt.

" _I love the old stuff that they did: the stuff from the 90s. The new albums are so mainstream and they all sound the same_ ," said Teddy during an Interview with Witches Weekly, " _my favourite song is 'Sally is a Deatheater', I don't even know why, I just found this quite tragic_." ( Skeeter, The Next Generation, 2013) The song is about a girl who joins the Dark Lord during the Second Wizarding War, but soon realises she wants to quit and is eventually killed.

The Weird Sisters never intended to make grim music. Their aim was to bring joy to the people of Hogwarts, but as time got darker; their music became more and more political. Before 1996, Wagtail admitted to be openly pro-pureblood. His attitude provoked much hate among many wizards and often resulted in death threats. _"I have a certain way of dealing with politics and all that [insert insult]. I don't force my views onto people and in return I don't want to have to put up with their crap. I'm here to do music,"_ clarified an angry Wagtail at the Quidditch Wold Cup in 1994, " _I just think that blood is such an intimate thing and I don't want that to be meddled with, so I'd rather stay pure-blood_." ( Skeeter, Up and Rising Youngsters to Perform in Hogwarts, 1994). " _We never talked about politics within the band because there is no winning with Myron,_ " shrugs Tremlett, who often clashed with Wagtail in their early days, " _I'm half-blood, so naturally we've had a couple of differences, but there is a time to listen and a time to ignore."_ _( Duke, Are The Weird Sisters Breaking Up?, 2009)_

By 1985, the band had their very first gig outside of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, where they met Stubby Boardman, former singer of the band _The Hobgoblins,_ who had retired in 1980. The singer had always struggled with alcohol and when the boys met him, he was as drunk as two Irish tinkers on St. Paddy's Day. _"We'd always been a huge admirer of his music and despite his condition he was still very nice and that's how we got to know a few people in 'the business'. If it wasn't for that night, we wouldn't have become what we are now, "_ said Duke. Stubby had given them a couple of names they could contact, if they ever considered making an album and "becoming serious" about their art. (McTavish, When Stubby met the Weird Sisters, 1994)

Their concert was a major success for the three boys and allowed them to sell their very first mix tapes at the venue. _"We'd recorded a couple of demos on vinyl at that time and were giving them away for free. I bet they'd be worth a fortune by now. Donaghan had stuck them in envelopes and we wrote 'The 1984s' on them with a quill and signed them. We'd only produced 30 of them, but they were gone very quickly." ( Skeeter, Up and Rising Youngsters to Perform in Hogwarts, 1994)_

 _"[The concert] was the reason why we pulled ourselves together and really started taking it seriously because there we had all the names of these amazing people and fame seemed just an owl post away." ( McTavish, When Stubby met the Weird Sisters, 1994) _

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Literature

Corner, M. (Composer). (2000). Going Out In Style. [WeAreTheDefenceLeague, Performer] Newcastle, England.

Duke, K. (2009, September 19). Are The Weird Sisters Breaking Up? (E. McTavish, Interviewer)

Duke, K. (2013, Dezember 3). The journey of the Duke. (G. Chittock, Interviewer)

Jordan, L. (2001, June 1). Rock n' Roll Romance. _Witches Weekly_ , p. 23.

Lovegood, X. (2005). Q&A with... _Quibbler_ , 30.

McTavish, E. (1994). _Wizard Rock Wave._ London: WizardPress.

McTavish, E. (1999, December 31). Cool Britannia. (L. Jordan, Interviewer)

Skeeter, R. (1994). Up and Rising Youngsters to Perform in Hogwarts. _Daily Prophet_ , 11.

Skeeter, R. (1995). Weird Sisters smashing the Leaking Cauldron. _Daily Prophet_ , 2.

Skeeter, R. (1996). Weasley's Wanking Wheezes. _Daily Prophet_ , 2.

Skeeter, R. (1997). Sirius Black Receives Pardon At Last. _The Daily Prophet_ , 1.

Skeeter, R. (1998). Victory or Defeat? _Daily Prophet_ , 11.

Skeeter, R. (2013, September 19). The Next Generation. _The Evening Prophet_ , p. 27.

Tonks, N. (1997, Oktober 23). London Calling. (R. Lupin, Interviewer)

Tremlet, D. (2009, October 24). The Last Curtain Call. (L. Jordan, Interviewer)

Tremlett, D., & Flannery, N. (Composers). (1999). Victory. [T. W. Sisters, Performer] Hogwarts, Scottland.

Wagtail, M. (Composer). (1997). Never Mind The War. [M. Wagtail, Performer] Manchester, England.

Wagtail, M. (2008, May 2). Who Do You Think You Are? (G. Weasley, Interviewer)

Wagtail, M., Duke, K., & Tremlett, D. (Composers). (1989). Remember, Remember. [T. W. Sisters, Performer] Hogwarts, Scottland.

Weasley, G. (2001, May 23). Once Upon a Time... Weird Sisters. _Witches Weekly_ , p. 34.

Weasley, G. (2009). The Downsides of Fame. _The Daily Prophet_ , 11.

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 **Author's Note:** **Thank you very much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I very much hope to be able to welcome you next week :)**

 **Also special thanks to a guest for leaving a few kind words! xx**


	3. 1987

**Chapter 2 - 1986/7**

1986 marks a very important year in the band's history, since it is the Weird Sister's official founding year. With two years of practice on their backs, the boys became quite established among most Hogwarts students and many attended their famous post-Quidditch concerts, which were always a welcome event for all houses.

 _"_ _You know, it did not matter whether your house just lost or won, it was all about the music and having fun and it was the perfect opportunity to get off with girls, of course,"_ adds Wagtail jokingly, _"sometimes we would wake up in different dormitories altogether."_ _(Jordan, 2001)_ But the Rock and Roll years would soon be over when Donaghan decided that their sound needed to expand even further in order to form a respectable band.

 _"_ _We were just a bunch of boys jumping about a stage. There was nothing professional about that and if we ever wanted to record an album, then we had to improve."_ (McTavish, The Sound of Music, 1989) Tremlett had a clear vision in mind as to where the band should go and was finally able to convince his fellow band members to go looking for a new addition to the band. _"It'd always dreamed of bag pipes,"_ beams Donaghan, _"I am Irish and I love traditional music, so why shouldn't we add a bit of it to our music?"_ _(McTavish, The Sound of Music, 1989)_

The boys distributed leaflets, plastered the halls with posters and made big announcements during the lunch break to find the missing piece to their quartet. But for a long time, it did not seem like anyone was interested in making music with them. Despite their efforts, only a handful of students stepped up to the challenge, but none of them could live up to the band's expectations.

 _"_ _They didn't really fit our style,"_ complains Wagtail, _"we didn't need some flute-playing school boy with the fashion sense of a 50-year-old housewife; we needed someone like Gideon."_ (Barnaby, 2005) Of cause Wagtail was referring to their bagpipe player Gideon Crumb, a bearded, stout Scottish man, who occasionally features as a background singer on their songs with his very deep raspy voice. Gideon was, in fact, their forth missing piece. The eleven-year-old Hufflepuff auditioned for the part just like many other contestants and convinced the trio with his authentic play of the bagpipes.

 _"_ _Gideon looks like he was born an old Scottish man. Like he skipped a few years and just became this bear-like bloke that he is now,"_ jests Duke (Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013). Duke and Crumb have since kept a very close friendship despite recent rumours of an impending break-up. _"He was just always there for me, when others weren't and he's helped me through a lot."_ _(Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013)_ Gideon soon proved to be a very worthy addition to the band, when he co-wrote _Remember, Remember_ , which to this day remains a very important song in British history.

 _"_ _We had all been very young during the first war, so none of us could really remember how it had felt back then, but I remember my parents being very excited about it, "_ remembers Crumb, _"and I thought: you know, what would I have done on that day, how would I have felt being them and that's what this song is all about."_ (Skeeter, War Memoria, 2001) The band has a very strong connection to the First and the Second Wizarding War and a majority of their songs deals with war and coming to terms with it.

Although Gideon was a very accomplished musician, he was still too young to visit Hogsmeade and until he would turn thirteen, was not allowed to visit the village, which made it sometimes difficult for the band to perform. _"Myron is a very impatient person and he often excluded me from gigs and treated me like I wasn't part of the band,"_ sighs Gideon (Burridge, 1999). Wagtail claimed in the past that he had been sick of "looking after children" and that he'd wanted to take his art seriously and perform properly. "I've never had anything against Gideon personally, you know. It's just that I was [insert insult] fed up with not being able to do the things I used to do" (Jordan, 2001). It is not hard to think of the kind of things that Wagtail was referring to, since the lead singer has always had a reputation with girls.

But if you think that a small quarrel prevented Gideon from making music, then you are fairly mistaken: the boy rolled up his sleeves, took matters into his own hands and formed a band of his own.

 _"_ _We called ourselves 'The Poltergeists',"_ Gideon explains, _"just Herman, Heathcote and I because I was fed up with Myrons' attitude and constantly being excluded from gigs. Myron is incredibly difficult to work with and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone."_ _(Burridge, 1999)_ Now, you may already be asking yourself: I thought this was the story of the Weird Sisters? We are getting there, be patient, Rome wasn't built in a day. So for a very long period of time the Weird Sisters only existed as "A band-in-a-band" (McTavish, Wizard Rock Wave, 1994).

The name Weird Sisters, was agreed on, when Gideon decided to quit the band after only a few intermezzos. The three remaining members sat together and discussed the band's future, which also involved dealing with Myron's difficult behaviour towards Gideon. Myron however declared that if he was sacked, the band would never have the desired success _. "The problem with Myron is that he is usually right about things, but he has a [insert insult] way of communicating the truth,"_ says Duke (McTavish, Myron Wagtail - A portrait, 2000).

 _"_ _We called ourselves_ _The Weird Sisters and the Poltergeists whenever we played together,"_ explains Duke. (McTavish, Wizard Rock Wave, 1994) " _Unfortunately, we still didn't have a bagpipe player when we played in Hogsmeade that's why new songs were hard to perform and we resorted to acoustic versions instead, which is, on the long haul, very unsatisfying. But that's essentially why we are still called the Weird Sisters because after all we were a trio._ " (McTavish, Cool Britannia, 1999) The two bands not only went under two separate names, but also produced different records all together.

The Weird Sisters had already produced a small record with approximately six songs on it. Some of them ended up on _Remember, Remember_ , some didn't. The Poltergeists, however, were only beginning to establish themselves, but eventually ended up being a frequent support act for the Weird Sisters. _"Funnily, we got along really well as soon as we were two separated bands,"_ remarks Barbary, _"only when we had to put up with Myron did things [insert insult]"_ _(McTavish, Myron Wagtail - A portrait, 2000)_ _._

Barbary was sorted into Ravenclaw house in 1986 and he was the lead singer for The Poltergeists. He also had auditioned for the Weird Sisters, but was turned down like many others. The young Londoner expressed a very strong love for certain Muggle subcultures that had emerged in the city during the 70s. The frequent display of the Union Jack on his clothes caused quite a stir among teachers and students and let to one of their concerts being cancelled during a Hufflepuff vs. Ravenclaw game.

 _"_ _We saw ourselves as quite the renegades", laughs Heathcote, "not giving two [insert insult] about what others thought about us and that's why we really relished the fame that we took away from that little incident. We had an amazing time."_ _(McTavish, The Poltergeists Q &A, 1999)_ _._ The Poltergeists built the Antithesis to the well-organized Weird Sisters: wearing ragged clothes, playing aggressive music and sporting ridiculous hairstyles. _"I hate to think that you have to be a Gryffindor or a Slytherin to be able to do the cool stuff. We wanted to proof to every Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw that you could be in those houses and still be rad,"_ defends Witringham, a Hufflepuff himself (McTavish, The Poltergeists Q&A, 1999) _._

Witringam was sorted into Hufflepuff the same year as Gideon crumb where they shared a common room and became close friends. _"I remember there was this one girl, a Hufflepuff, must have been two years above me or something, and she was a massive fan. Came to every show and even dyed her hair pink. Best moment of our lives, "_ recalls Barbary (McTavish, The Poltergeists Q&A, 1999). Whoever has pricked up his ears in History of Magic, knows of course, that that significant pink-haired lady is Nymphadora Tonks. Sadly, not many documents or recordings exist of "Tonks" as she preferred to be called; however, she conducted a small interview with her husband during her time on Potterwatch. The record was found by Tonks' mother Andromeda, who kindly provided it for our cause.

 **Romulus:** How did you decide to change the colour of your hair to pink?

 **Cricket:** I was a massive fan of The Poltergeists when I was in school and they all had green and blue and pink hair. It was about the coolest thing to have, I thought, but it got me into a lot of trouble back home. Naturally my mum didn't approve, but due to our family history, she let it slide eventually.

The channel Potterwatch was a _"Feindsender"_ (a term established under Gellert Grindelwald that describes forbidden radio stations that seek to help the enemy) or underground radio station; depending on the side you were on. They secretly broadcasted news about Harry Potter and his supporters and helped like-minded people stay in touch with their loved ones. Potterwatch occasionally played tribute to the band and played their records during breaks. Former chief editor Lee Jordan (River) once stated that the music comforted him, when he had to announce the deaths of people. _"It was always difficult to pull myself together, but when I listened to their songs before I went on air, I managed not to break down and cry"_ _(Jordan, The Potterwatch Years, 1999)_ According to Lee, his favourite song is called: Scarlett Engine, a song that was originally written by the Poltergeists, but ended up on _Remember, Remember_. The song deals with the death of a Hogwarts student that was abducted by Deatheaters in the 70s and draws parallels to a ride on the Hogwarts express.

 _"_ _This is not the end, this is my Ascension, I am Jesus Fucking Christ and I am leaving on a scarlet engine_ _(Wagtail, Duke, & Tremlett, Remember, Remember, 1989)_ _."_ These lyrics often caused confusion among wizards, since the reference is obviously aimed at muggles, but even if you do not get the reference this song still makes a pretty good tune. _"We've had to answer to so many questions about that song and it made us very tired that we had to have religious debates about it. To be perfectly honest with you, Ascension was the only word we could think of that sounded a bit like engine and so we put it in the song. Stop over analysing it, for Merlin's sake. We are sure that, if Merlin had risen from the dead, we would have put him in the song instead_ _(McTavish, The Poltergeists Q &A, 1999)_ _."_

Today Poltergeist tapes are very hard to get and collectors pay a huge sum for them. Those of you, who happen to have one of these rare records, should definitely lock them somewhere safe because their price may increase in the future. Nowadays teenagers are often seen wearing "Weird Sisters and the Poltergeists"-T-Shirts, most notably Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley. The Poltergeists released a series of merchandise in 2013 to honour the 15th anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts and raise money for the school.

We see that The Poltergeists play a huge role in the making of the Weird Sisters and are still regarded by many as the "enfant terrible" of the Weird Sisters. The two bands collaborated on many early songs and the credits on _Remember, Remember_ still cites them as a separate band. So why would 1986 be their official founding year?

 _"_ _We played a gig in Manchester during the Christmas holidays. It was a very small venue and the advertisement space wasn't big enough, so the bartender came up to us and asked if it would be okay that we went under the name the Weird Sisters that night and we agreed. You know, the people knew it was the two of us anyways,"_ laughed Tremlett (Lovegood, 2005). From that day on, the bands just went under the name the Weird Sisters, whenever they played together. However a very important question remains to be answered. Who are the Weird Sisters, then?

We will further explore the question throughout the course of the story and we hope to find a satisfying answer. Undoubtedly, whether they are a band, a person, two bands or if they never existed, their achievements have left marks in wizarding history and their songs have coined a generation for sure.

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 **Author's note: Thank you so much for reading the story and being patient with me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next one 3**


	4. 1987 - 1989

**Chapter 3 - 1987 – 1989**

Oh hey, hello! You've returned to a new episode of "Every Band Ever"! Just on time to welcome another band member and discover the release of _Remember, Remember_. I hope you are just as excited as we are! So where have we left off? Myron and Kirley are in year five, Donaghan is in year four and the Poltergeists are in year three.

With the OWLs at the doorstep, Myron and Kirley were constantly switching between their instruments and their term papers and felt that the band was coming to a bit of a halt. Myron was a very accomplished student and preferred the microphone over quills and ink, but Kirley struggled academically and had to put a lot more effort in achieving good marks. _"Professor McGonagall told me, during careers advice that my music better be good or I would make a living sweeping the owlery's floor,"_ confesses Duke (Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013). Duke confessed to Witches Weekly that he never had a plan B and that if he hadn't succeeded in making music, then his life might have looked very sinister for the guitarist. _"I was very good at muggle studies. In fact, although I am a pure blood, muggles have always fascinated me. I love electric guitars and these boxes where the sound comes out"_ _(Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013)_ _._

Muggles use electricity to "amplify" the sound of their instruments similar to an amplifying charm. According to our knowledge, electricity are tiny creatures that speed through metal wires, which heats them and provides energy for whatever gadget the wire is connected to. These creatures live in sockets in walls, muggles cannot see them, but they can hear their buzzing noises, when there are plenty and they occasionally get bitten by them. Also they pay fees to be allowed to keep these creatures in their walls. These muggles are crazy!

 _"_ _Obviously, electricity doesn't work at Hogwarts and I could never use an electric guitar there, but when we played outside of Hogwarts, I learned how to use one and connect the wires properly so a sound comes out. This, for me, was true magic!"_ Kirley's muggle enthusiasm, however, wasn't at all shared with Myron, who despised the technology. "I am not against muggles," says Myron, "I just think that their technology does not belong within the magical culture and we should not mix that. I am a purist. I care about our culture and our values." (Bernard, 2010)

 _"_ _Myron would make me feel like a complete failure during the OWLs. So I knew how to connect wires, but not how to cast a disarming spell? I wish I had his brains",_ sighs Kirley (Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013). Needless to say, Myron was a straight O-student and passed all his OWLs with flying colours, whereas Kiley almost failed his OWLs. _"Professor Snape gave me a really hard time. I managed to get an A in Potions, but I was never into all this cookery-bakery stuff"_ _(Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013)_ _._

Despite the catastrophic results, Kirley picked up his guitar again the next year and continued writing songs. He was even more determined this time to succeed and became very eager about his musical career. _"He was making music like his life depended on in"_ , states Tremlett who wrote his OWLs in 1988 (Triffit, 1999). _"I felt like no one believed in me and my art and I had to prove to them, that I would make it one day"._ _(Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013)_ _._ Lucky for us, this was the right spirit to produce the most memorable song in wizard history: Remember, Remember.

 _"_ _It was Halloween and a few children sang this nursery rhyme and I thought it was quite catchy, so why not write a song about it. Also it was the day that You-Know-Who was defeated"_ , explains Kirley about the history of the song, _"I was strumming a few chords with Gideon and we fooled around with that poem and tried to make it into a song. Then Gideon came up with the line Remember, remember when we danced all night and let our colours fly and I knew that this was the song."_ _(Lovegood, 2005)_ _._ In fact, this song should eventually be the title track for their upcoming album of the same name and it would bring them almost immediate fame. The song was played for the first time in Hogsmeade in 1988 and the audience loved it. All demo tracks were sold within seconds and the band made a small fortune that night. _"Everyone in Hogwarts had the song. It was just overwhelming how everyone sang along to it. It's the best feeling in the world!",_ smiles Kirley (Skeeter, Weird Sisters release first Album, 1989).

 _Remember, remember when we danced all night and let our colours fly_

 _A killing curse was just a shooting star in the midnight sky_

 _And all the tears we'd cried bundled in a baby's cry_

 _"_ _I felt so sorry for what happened that night in Godric's Hollow_ ", says Duke regretfully, " _the atrocity of this crime only hit me, when I turned 21 and we celebrated Halloween and I thought, man I cannot die yet. I haven't started yet_." (Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013). But while Kirley moaned the casualties of that night, did Myron become more and more obsessed with the massacre that took place the same night in which 12 muggles were brutally and insidiously killed. For the best part of fifteen years, it was believed that Sirius Black was a faithful Deatheater, who betrayed the Potters and killed his friend Peter Pettigrew, when in fact it was Peter Pettigrew, who committed the murders and escaped that night.

 _"_ _No one had ever received a sentence like Sirius Black before. The case was unique and I was fascinated with the legal status of the sentence, since he never received a trial. I surely would have become a lawyer, if I hadn't been a musician"_ , tells Myron, who always flirted with the idea of studying magical law (McTavish, Myron Wagtail - A portrait, 2000). His performance in school would have probably enabled him to pursue such a reputable career. In 1996, Wagtail joined a group of activists that dedicated their lives to solving cold cases and reinforcing a fair trial for prosecutor and accused. And one of their most famous cases was the Sirius Black case that was closed in 1997. The satirical song _Lucky Streak_ _(Wagtail, Duke, & Tremlett, Remember, Remember, 1989)_ was inspired by the case and was written from Sirius Black's fictional point of view.

In the midst of the song writing craze and while recording demos in order to get a record deal, the band gained a very special fan by the name of Orsino Thurston. The first year Slytherin was a huge admirer of the Weird Sisters and started following them around. The boy from Zadar, Croatia, spoke only broken English, but offered to work as a roadie. Wagtail was very intrigued by the opportunities a roadie provided and allowed him to work as his "personal assistant". _"We were all wondering why Orsino willingly degraded himself by working for Myron, but he was such an admirer of him that he was ready to do anything",_ remembers Tremlett (McTavish, Myron Wagtail - A portrait, 2000). Quickly they learned that Orsino, who didn't play any instruments, had a good sense of rhythm and liked to drum a few beats with his wand.

" _It's a wonder the wand never broke_ ", jests Thurston, " _because I used to always sit in lessons or during concerts and drummed it on my thigh. And everyone would just go, or so you are a drummer? But I wasn't_." (Lovegood, 2005). Although Donaghan played the drums during concerts, he was secretly looking out for a replacement and he recognized Orsino's talent at once. _"I said, you love music kid, so would you like to learn play the drums? He didn't even think about it and said yes immediately. Always on the lookout for an opportunity these Slytherins", laughs Tremlett_ _(Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013)_ _._ Eventually, Tremlett taught Thurston how to play the drums until he was good enough to play at gigs, which allowed Tremlett to add a bass to the line-up.

With the new line-up and with the help of the Poltergeists the Weird Sisters recorded a small mixtape that they were going to send to a record company. The tape included Remember, Remember; Scarlett Engine and The Kiss. But the way to success was, as always, windy and crooked. Most record companies rejected it and deemed the music " _not suitable for airplay_ ". Barthemus Barnaby, former chief editor of WWN revealed that he was among the record companies that rejected the Weird Sisters ( _we bow our heads in shame_ ).

" _We were invited to a small studio in London_ ", tells Duke, " _everyone said that this was the place to be if you wanted to become famous. But London never really suited us. Of course all the great bands were there, but we didn't belong there_." (Lovegood, 2005) The band eventually rejected the record deal and went to seek fame in Scotland.

At the end of the 80s, the wizard rock community was relatively small and only a few bands existed; therefore, catching a record deal was highly difficult and unlikely. A small number of musicians resided in Hogsmeade and struggled to make money on the streets. Sometimes they could scrape enough money to stay at the Three Broomsticks, but other times they couldn't even afford a daily meal. Most musicians spent their time on trains and waited to be carried to the next location that looked promising or just any destination where they were offered a place to stay.

Kirley eventually found himself living the very same life that many musicians lead. When he and Myron left school in 1989, their lives couldn't have been more different. Myron spent the summer at his parent's house in Salford and planned to pursue a career at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Kirley, on the other hand, left his parental home and decided to lead a life as full-time musician. " _Not that my parents did not approve of my ambitions, we were always on good terms, I just felt that it was time to move on_ ", explains Kirley (Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013). For the most part of the summer holidays Kirley found himself in the same place he'd been when he started making music: alone with a guitar. He played on the streets of Manchester every single day apart from a few gigs when the whole band got together.

" _This time was very inspiring_ ," says Duke, " _I've never met so many people in my life and I've never lived so dangerously. I remember I was invited to some muggle's place and we played music and had a few beers. They had women and something to smoke. The place was a mess and in the morning no one could remember a thing so I left_." (Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013) Fortunately, it was one of those nights that would secure the entire band's future.

When Duke played at a small bar in Leeds, he was watched by Earnest McTavish, an influential impresario and wizard rock fan. McTavish was so taken with Duke's performance that he invited him to his music hall in Glasgow, where he recorded a Demo of _Scarlet Engine_ _(Wagtail, Duke, & Tremlett, Remember, Remember, 1989)_. It didn't take McTavish long to recognise the potential and he invited the whole band over for a whole weekend in order to write more songs and plan the release of their first album.

" _I cannot believe I almost applied for the ministry of magic. The invitation came just in time before I made a mistake_ ," laughs Wagtail (Corvus, 1999). Despite being happy to have landed a record deal, not all of the boys were offered a contract. Since the Poltergeists and Orsino were still underage, McTavish refused to sign them, but they were listed as musicians on Remember, Remember. However, they were promised a record deal as soon as they turned 17.

The weekend at the studio turned out to be less than productive. The band only finished one song, which then didn't end up on the album. Instead, Poltergeist songs filled the void. Three songs from the Poltergeist's demo were added to the album: Bitterness and Old Shoes, The Giant Squid, A Banshee's Cry. Bitterness and old shoes was written about their potions teacher Severus Snape, who died in the Battle of Hogwarts. The professor was known for his ill-humoured demeanour and strictness.

A Banshee's Cry is based on an urban legend that a Kerry Banshee is haunting the dungeons of Hogwarts. The word banshee (bean sídhe) is often misinterpreted as " _Fairy of Death_ "; however, it only refers to a woman coming from the Sídhe (a magical community in Ireland). According to the legend, the Banshee is bound to the castle by an ancient contract and protects the students and the castle. In the song, the banshee is described as a young witch who waits for her true love to set her free. It is said that the song was based on Máire Óg Ní Séaghdha, the first bean sídhe (literally meaning: the woman of the Sídhe) to attend Hogwarts.

Although the Giant Squid seems an obvious choice of name, the lyrics are rather surprising. " _A girl I fancied once told me she'd rather marry the giant squid than go out with me. So I thought, there you have it!_ " laughs Herman who wrote the song, which is really about a girl marrying the giant squid and leading a rather unhappy life with him (Wagtail, Duke, & Tremlett, Remember, Remember, 1989).

The first part of the album was recorded in one go. The boys had played the tracks a million times and fouled around with the versions until they decided which one would make it on the album. " _I wanted the album to sound just like the listener is attending a Weird Sisters concert. The boys are amazing live and I didn't want any of the magic to get lost on tape_ ", explains Earnest McTavish (McTavish, The Sound of Music, 1989).

The album has some deliberate noises and cracks in the audio track in order to make it sound more handmade and authentic. It was praised by the critics and well received in the wizard rock scene. The songs are sung by different singers and with different musical arrangements. We have included the record booklet and some of the lyrics and we hope you will be able to enjoy it like you did when it first came out.

We conducted a small survey among our editors on their favourite song from the album and here is their ranking.

1\. Remember, Remember

2\. Scarlett Engine

3\. A Banshee's Cry

4\. Bitterness and Old Shoes

5\. Lucky Streak

6\. The Kiss

7\. The Giant Squid

8\. Hogwarts Anthem

What is your favourite song and what do you connect with it? Your first kiss? A won Quidditch match? A breakup? Whatever it is, be sure to return to another episode of "Every Band Ever"!

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey, thank you so much for reading the story and all the kind words! Keep rocking!

A special thanks to Sarapha and NaomiWonder and acwwluver for showing their support!

Stay tuned 3


	5. 1989 - 1990

**1989 - 1990**

 _"_ _Father, I do this for a living._

 _I feed off the applause and sleep with the stars._

 _And no, I can't come home, not while they're still cheering, but when the laughter's died I swear I will,"_

writes Kirley Duke on their second album "The Scottish One" in 1991. The song _Living on Trains_ _(Sisters, The Scottish One, 1991)_ is the epitome of the kind of reality they found themselves in when Remember, Remember was released. Kirley's life on the streets began to take a toll on him and with the rest of the band scattered across Britain, touring was the only way to stay together.

" _We got so used to being together every day that none of us could really remember what our lives where like before that_ ," explains Duke, " _touring is my favourite part about making music: different place every time, different crowd, songs change, shows change. It's [insert insult] brilliant!_ " (Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013) The guitarist had spent a few months before the release touring Britain and living off his earnings as a musician. " _Have you ever been stuck on some random train station and the next train won't arrive until the next morning? In fact, there is a small town that has its very own train and it's the only way to get there and this one train only stops there twice. If only I had known that before I took the trip there in the pouring rain_ ," laughs Kirley (Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013).

Luckily, touring proved much more comfortable for the boys. An enchanted, rusty van (similar to the Knight Bus) that they had bought from a wizard at Nockturn Alley drove them from place to place where they stayed at random hotels. But most of the time it came down to Myron and Kirley since the others were still in school and only joined them during the weekends. " _One time we were booked at a venue in Winchester, but only a handful people showed up, so we decided to grab some beers and go down to the Cathedral where we just sat and sang a couple of songs. Best show ever,"_ remembers Donaghan (Chittock, 2000).

The Weird Sisters showed a talent for improvisation early on in their career. Their ability to play both big and small shows convinced the critics that the Weird Sisters were here to stay. Myron, Kirley and Donaghan had a talent for harmonization with Myron providing a baritone, Kirley a tenor and Donaghan a tenor/counter tenor. Their style of singing, which is usually found with Barbershop Quartets rather than rock bands, helped to form the unique style the band needed to make a lasting impression on the music industry. " _We always had the problem that at least one instrument was missing. So what do you do? You sing that part_ ," explains Donaghan (McTavish, The Sound of Music, 1989).

Eventually, their style became an icon for many young witches and wizards of that generation. Their faces were always in the newspapers and the demand for interviews increased steadily, so their personal lives were now in the spotlight and they were constantly asked to voice their opinions on various topics. " _I remember one particular interview that we did for the Quibbler_ ," laughs Myron who is known for a very flamboyant public personality, " _we arrived at this place in the Dartmoor for the interview and the editor greeted us in his pyjamas. We had a nice cup of tea and the longest conversation about de-gnoming your garden of my entire life."_ _(Weasley, Once Upon a Time... Weird Sisters, 2001)_

But not all media was as benevolent as Mr Lovegood. Especially, Witches Weekly, a magazine targeting middle aged housewives, accused the Weird Sisters of posing a danger to teenagers and being a bad influence for them. Hermosillia Fairbanks wrote a full article revealing the "dangerous sex-life of the Weird Sisters" and why mothers should look after their daughters. Fairbanks claimed that Myron and Kirley had charged young witches money to sleep with them and then infected them with Ringworm, a contagious disease that causes itching and ring-like red patches on the skin (Fairbanks, 1990). Two mothers had filed charges against the band leaders, but quickly withdrew when the two girls confessed that they had caught the disease from an infected cat (Skeeter, The Tale of the Ringworm, 1990).

However, not just the tabloids raised concern about the wizard-rock trend. Critical voices of scholars and politicians were heard all over the press. Only recently has the generation of the 80s been labelled the "Peace-Generation" by historians because they never experienced war during their younger years and generally enjoyed a very high standard of living. This was often reflected by their music, a "laissez-faire" attitude and a fascination with war figures (Barnaby, The Peace Generation, 2010). Politician Barty Crouch sr warned that " _we must not forget about the horrible crimes that were committed [during war] and confuse perpetrators with icons_." (Skeeter, Barty Crouch holds emotional speech at Memorial Day, 1990).

Nevertheless, the Weird Sisters' success was not tarnished by critical voices. In fact, the antipathy from older generations helped the band become more and more popular with the younger generation. Memorabilia or concert tickets were sold for a huge amount of galleons and all houses supported their idols fiercely. Their concerts became places of pilgrimage for young people from all houses and a concert in Dufftown sold out within half an hour.

Their Remember, Remember Tour stretched seven full line-up shows and fifteen solo shows all over Scotland and two full line-up shows in London and Manchester. The tour was largely organized by the band members themselves and a lot of their private money went into the organization and promotion of their tour.

Frequent airplay on nation-wide radio stations helped the band gain popularity with wizards all over Britain, while most Hogwarts students were already familiar with most of the band's songs. Hogwarts Anthem had long been the unofficial school song for those who had attended school together with Kirley and Myron. The song was originally played as a laugh for a party and was supposed to spoof the story of Hogwarts' founders. Hogwarts Anthem was released on September 1st 1990, just in time for the students to return back to school. It was so popular that the Poltergeists performed it after the sorting ceremony.

Their last concert of the tour took place in London at the Hopping Pot with a full line up. The venue was carefully chosen as it was close to Diagon Alley and offered the band free drinks. The Hobgoblins had played at the same venue prior to Stubby's end of career. The Hopping Pot was not as established as the Leaky Cauldron and often hosted bands or theatre groups, which made it very popular among younger wizards. Opener for the Weird Sisters was Spellbound, a then up-and-coming all-witch band. That night, the pub was packed with people.

" _Some sat on the tables or the window sills_ ", recalls Donaghan who had just finished his N.E. , " _it was my first gig after the exams and I'd never been that overwhelmed with anything. The songs just came natural to us and the crowd knew all the lyrics. Can you imagine the feeling when people sing your songs back at you_?" (Weasley, Once Upon a Time... Weird Sisters, 2001).

Donaghan, who sat a stunning five N.E. had planned to return to Ireland in order to pursue a career as translator and diplomat for "Irish Affairs" department in the Ministry for Magic. He had been very outspoken against the lack of representation of Irish wizards in the Wizengamot and fought for the recognition of the Irish language in official documents such as the applications for the creation of a portkey, which had to be written in English in order to be approved.

" _Being able to play the last gig meant the world to me. It felt like the perfect ending to a dream come true",_ beamed Donaghan. His drum play on Scarlet Engine was praised by the critics and to this day remains one of the most iconic drum lines in wizard rock history. During the last concert, Donaghan switched between the drums and the bass, creating a softer atmosphere for the slower songs. The set list that day contained all their songs from Remember, Remember as well as a few cover songs. Wizard Wireless Network has been able to get a hold on the original set list and we're not withholding that information.

1) Hogwarts Anthem

2) The Giant Squid (Poltergeist song)

3) Lucky Streak

4) Last Night (a Hobgoblin cover together with Spellbound)

5) Bitterness and Old Shoes (Poltergeist song)

6) The Kiss

7) Scarlett Engine

8) - Break-

9) A Banshee's Cry (Poltergeist song)

10) Save Your Breath (translated from the Irish song _An Sagart_ and not previously released)

11) Remember, Remember

The concert was opened by Spellbound. The band had formed in 1989 and was based in London. They had planned to release an album and were then touring with some of their newly-written songs. Spellbound set the right mood and performed three of their own songs. Who would have known that the band would break up in 1997 over the singer's addiction to sleeping draughts?

Hogwarts Anthem was only accompanied by the bagpipes while the audience sang the lyrics. The concert then started slowly with Barbary singing the Giant Squid and then took Myron took over. Myron had worn very extravagant, bright robes for the concert and a considerable amount of make-up too. His rendition of Lucky Streak seemed so out of this world that the entire room when quiet in an instant.

" _We could see them gaze at his performance like they'd just seen an alien_ ", tells Barbary, " _I shivered. All arguments aside , I admire his style_." (McTavish, Myron Wagtail - A portrait, 2000). Myron would proceed to change his dress three times during the whole concert and each was as flamboyant as the next.

The cover of Last Night by The Hobgoblins was tribute to Stubby Boardman who also attended the concert and joined for a couple of beers later.

During the break, all members mingled with the crowd. Fans offered to buy them beers and they toasted with everyone they passed. _"I love random people coming up to you and being super exited to meet you",_ says Kirley who, in contrast to Myron, is very sociable, " _Myron hates to shake people's hands. Suppose he's scared they might spill beer on his robes. That guy spends a fortune on that stuff. Like, I ever gave a [insert insult] about what I look like on stage. Once you're on it, you have sweat dripping down, well places_. (Duke, The journey of the Duke, 2013)"

Everyone had downed so many beers that the next half of the concert went rather chaotic and in addition to that the crowd became more on more agitated as the alcohol level increased. During Save your Breath Donaghan would switch freely between the English and the Irish lyrics as he had little control over his language. Eventually, "Remember, Remember" turned out to be a drunk sing-along and people stretched out their illuminated wands and lay in each other's arms as the chorus set in.

Their manager Earnest McTavish described their first tour as "a bunch of unattended children on a fieldtrip" (McTavish, Cool Britannia, 1999). _"Recording the album felt like asking children how school was and then after some awkward attempts at a conversation finally arriving at the information that he or she failed an important test. See, they had already played their songs over and over again and in some way it was like re-telling the Tales of Beetle the Bard. I wanted them to be able to identify themselves with the songs again and that took me quite some time."_ _(Skeeter, Weird Sisters release first Album, 1989)_ _._

All the songs on Remember, Remember had been about their time at school, but for their next album they would be grown-ups and would have to find a new muse.

There are many reasons to stay tuned for a new episode of Every Band Ever, especially if you are curious to find out who inspired the famous line "fame is just a stone's throw from where you're lying on that bathroom floor".


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